603

Site number:

603

Authors:

IBC, GGGC, MRB

Date recorded:

1990/02/06

Reason Sampled:

Soil contamination examination from a previous up-slope fuel leakage

Description:

Near the northwest end of Scott Base buildings and 30m from a survey benchmark; 20m down slope from a post carrying lines; 22m down slope from the fuel pipeline from McMurdo Station; the site down slope of a hollow; in otherwise gently sloping terrain

Altitude:

18 m

Aspect:

SE

Slope:

3 °

Climate

Soil climate zone:

Coastal Antarctic

Estimated mean annual temperature:

-18 °C

Frozen ground depth:

36 cm

Frozen type:

Hard ice-cemented

Frozen comment:

36cm

Geology

Geological setting:

Rocks are predominantly scoria flows of the McMurdo Volcanics; Last Glaciation Ross 1 ice covered the site and traces of rocks (sandstone and granite granules and small pebbles) probably from the Royal Society Range can be found; the drift mantle is thin and patchy with bedrock a little below the surface; the site appears to have an accumulation of some finer textured sediment or drift material

Patterned ground:

Nil but indications of some flow features

Surface weathering or surface features:

Unweathered surface but calcium carbonate accumulations beneath some surface clasts

Soil

Soil parent material:

Sandy to silty drift with some scattered small scoria boulders

Previous disturbance:

Treading activity and probably some mechanical disturbance from base activity; fuel leakage from pipe joints observed 20m up-slope on previous occasions

Soil weathering stage:

6 1 (Campbell & Claridge 1975)

Soil moisture status:

Some surface thaw water during summer; site often moist

Biological activity:

Nil